VOA慢速英语2015 奥巴马最后两年总统任期冀关注长期计划_

 

Obama Attends to ‘Long Term’ Projects in Final Two Years 奥巴马最后两年总统任期冀关注长期计划_

President Barack Obama is entering the final two years of his presidency¹. The American economy is stronger now than at any time since he took office in 2009.

Mr. Obama says that, with the economy stronger, he is able to work on what he calls ‘long term’ projects in national and foreign affairs. The president spoke² with National Public Radio on Monday. He also said he would not dismiss the possibility of improved relations with Iran.

Mr. Obama says his executive actions in recent weeks on immigration and Cuba were the result of years of work. He says he had expected 2014 to be a breakthrough year – one of important developments. And after six years in office and an improving economy, he finally had the chance to deal with some difficult issues.

"But, at the end of 2014, I could look back and say we are as well-positioned today as we have been in quite some time economically, that American leadership is more needed around the world than ever before and that is liberating³ in the sense that a lot of the work that we’ve done is now beginning to bear fruit. And, it gives me an opportunity then to start focusing on some of the other hard challenges that I didn’t always have the time or capacity to get to earlier in my presidency."

Mr. Obama says he now wants to attend to ‘long term projects’ -- such as making sure an improving economy helps all Americans. He also spoke about international issues.

"…even as we’re managing ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and trying to roll them back and ultimately defeat them, even as we’ve been executing the drawdown in Afghanistan in a responsible way, the moves like the Cuba diplomatic initiative are ones that I want to make sure I continue to pursue partly because, frankly⁴, it’s easier for a president to do at the end of his term than a new president coming in."

The president was asked if he can imagine opening an embassy in Tehran as he re-establishes ties with Cuba. Mr. Obama said the two countries are different. He said that, after 50 years of the same policy, it was time for a change with a small country that does not seem to be a major threat to the United States. He called Iran a large, developed country with a history of state-supported terrorism. He added that Iran is hostile to Israel and seeks to develop a nuclear weapon.

Mr. Obama says improved relations with Iran will hinge on a verifiable nuclear agreement. Over time, he says, U.S. and international sanctions could be removed, and Iran could be treated like other countries. Mr. Obama added that would serve as the basis for improving relations.

The United States has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980. Ties were cut after Iranian activists⁵ seized the U.S. embassy and took its employees hostage. The United States and five other nations have been negotiating for a peaceful, civilian⁶ Iranian nuclear program. Iran has long denied its program has a military purpose.

The negotiators reached an interim⁷ deal in November 2013, although the two sides have failed to reach a comprehensive agreement.

Mr. Obama  also praised two countries for making progress in human rights, good governance and the rule of law. He pointed⁸ to Myanmar, also known as Burma, and Tunisia where democratic transformations⁹ appear to be taking place. He described them as areas where the United States can be ‘opportunistic’ and do everything it can to help.                                        

Words In This Story

hinge – v. to be determined¹⁰ or decided¹¹ by something

verify – v. to prove, show, find out, or state that something is true or correct

interim – n. a period of time between events

comprehensive – adj. including many, most or all things

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

4 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 transformations   

n.变化( transformation的名词复数 )；转换；转换；变换

参考例句：

• Energy transformations go on constantly, all about us. 在我们周围，能量始终在不停地转换着。 来自辞典例句
• On the average, such transformations balance out. 平均起来，这种转化可以互相抵消。 来自辞典例句

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。